Global warming continued in July 2005 with temperatures in the U.S. averaging 1.5 Fahrenheit (F) above the average temperature for July, over the period of record 1895-2004. Nine states had "much above normal" temperature for the month, an additional 33 states had "above average" temperatures, while only 6 states in the contiguous U.S. had near average temperature for the month. Wisconsin had above average temperatures, as did Alaska. No state was cooler than average for July.

The Northern Hemisphere had the highest geographically averaged monthly temperature on record, surpassing the previously hottest month of July 2002. The continent-wide average temperature this July over North America was 1.75 degrees F. above the average July temperature (for the period 1985-2004).

The month of July 2005 turned out to be the 2nd warmest July on record for the earth as a whole, exceeded only by the record warm July in El Nino year 1998. Warmer than average conditions in July were recorded in Scandinavia, much of Asia, North Africa, the United States, Mexico, Europe, Algeria, South Africa, Siberia and eastern Australia. Ocean temperatures were also 2nd highest on record. NOAA's National Climate Data Center (NCDC) calculates globally averaged monthly temperatures by processing data from thousands of world-wide observation sites on land and sea each month. Global average temperatures have been warmer than the 1971-2000 average temperatures for 121 straight months, going back to May 1995.http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/research/2005/jul/jul05.html

Selected NCDC prepared graphs of much of the above information follow:

NOAA's TIROS-N polar-orbiting satellites have been monitoring temperatures of the mid-troposphere, located approximately 2-6 miles above the Earth's surface, and the lower stratosphere, covering an altitude range of about 9-12 miles, since 1979. NOAA's analysis of the satellite record indicates that global temperatures are rising in the mid-troposphere, with July 2005 showing the 2nd warmest temperatures on record, undoubtedly a response to the rising concentrations of greenhouse gases in the troposphere from humans burning fossil fuels.http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/img/climate/research/2005/jul/t850-rss-monthly-http://www.nature.com/news/2005/050808/pf/050808-13_pf.html

Temperatures in the lower stratosphere, on the other hand, have been significantly lower in the last 10-15 years than they were prior to the early 1990s.http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/img/climate/research/2005/jul/tls-rss-monthly-j
[The large increase in stratospheric temperature readings in 1982 was caused by the volcanic eruption of El Chichon in Mexico, and the increase in 1991 was a result of the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in the Philippines.]

Declining temperatures in the stratosphere are believed to be the result of:

(1) increased trapping of heat in the lower troposphere by the increased volumes of greenhouse gases, which results in less radiated heat from the surface rising into the stratosphere;

With the exception of certain areas where there are "holes" in the ozone layer, the natural volume of ozone in the stratosphere presently absorbs much of the harmful solar ultraviolet radiation that bombards the earth. In the process of absorbing the solar radiation, the stratosphere warms up. It follows, therefore, that if the volume of ozone in the stratosphere is depleted by ozone-depleting chemicals, the stratosphere's temperature will decline even further.

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A little dry maybe, but this is by far the most important message on this board and an extremely urgent one that isn't getting anywhere near the attention -or action- it merits. We are indeed, 'fiddling while Rome burns'.